Shipping containers holding articles such as occasional tables, furniture casegoods, shelving, aquatic tank stands, and other furniture (bedroom, dining room, etc.) may be handled several times between the manufacturer and the end user. These items are stacked, stored, and transferred by individuals oftentimes using mechanized equipment and other devices. During this process, many of the items may be subject to impacts and other forces that can damage the item rendering it not merchantable and/or less than in new condition. The edges and corners of the item are typically the points that receive the bulk of adverse impacts that may be encountered during transit and are the most susceptible to damage.
To resist such damage, corner and edge protectors, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,608, may be used to protect the corners and edges of the items from damage as a result of forces encountered during transit. Known corner and edge protectors are relatively effective in reducing the damage to items, such as cabinetry, that have generally defined corners and edges that are substantially equalangular, such as a 90° cube-like corner.
Certain types of occasional tables, furniture casegoods, and the like, however, may have a more complex corner geometry, and often include an overhang edge that can protrude outward and beyond the plane of the item sides. These overhang edges are particularly vulnerable to damage, as the protruding edges are most often the point of impact for adverse forces encountered during transit. For example, if a dresser having an overhang edge is dropped, it is likely that the protruding overhang edge (in particular the overhang edge corner) may make first contact with the ground. This may not only result in direct damage to the overhang edge, which is a particular problem when dealing with fragile veneered edges, but may also cause the surface to which the overhang edge is a part to weaken in connection with the rest of the dresser.
Accordingly, an improved shipping protector is needed that can better protect the overhang edges of items from adverse forces that may be encountered during shipping between the manufacturer and the end user.